Sacramental Life Faith Formation Churches of St. Mary & St ... · St. Mary-St. Henry Pro-Life Team Accounting/Bookkeeping Churches of St. Mary & St. Henry 165 N. Waterville Ave.,

We welcome the newest members of the Church through the waters of Baptism: Virginia Margaret Olson

Baptism

Baptisms are still being celebrated in the present time. However, they are limited to a maximum of 10 attendees. Families have the option of doing a larger welcoming ceremony for the baptized at a later time to give the extended family a chance to celebrate. For all baptisms, appropriate safety measures will be taken (for example, social distancing and the use of fresh, newly blessed water). Please contact Fr. Sandquist via email or phone to schedule your child’s baptism. Parents are asked to attend a class on the sacrament of baptism (virtually if necessary). Due to the great importance of this sacrament we encourage you not to delay in requesting this sacrament.

Sacramental Life

First Communion

First Communion will be held on Saturdays, June 6th & 13th, 2020 at 11 AM. Having two Masses will allow us to maintain safe distancing practices. Immediate families

only. Please pray for those students who have worked so hard this year preparing for this sacrament!

Steubenville Conferences have been canceled

for this summer. A virtual conference will be available later this summer at no cost to the parishes. We hope all the teens who looked forward to attending the conference this year will join us for the virtual conference or the live

conference next summer! More information to come!

Totus Tuus has been canceled for the month of June.

We are currently working on scheduling the team to come in August if allowed by the state and archdiocese.

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for the most updated information.

Keep in touch with us through Facebook, Remind, and emails where we will share daily Bible quotes, online

family formation, and updates from the Archdiocese.

Like us on Facebook! For Faith Formation News go to St Mary & St Henry Faith Formation (https://www.facebook.com/lecentercatholic/). For other news in the parish go to St. Mary's Church, Le Center (https://www.facebook.com/StMaryStHenry/)

Please download the Remind App for quick and easy Faith Formation updates and information.

Our class code for Parents is 7g962b.

The class code for Confirmation 2020 students is 3b739ee.

The class code for Confirmation 2021 is 62h6d3.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

Jean R. Boothby Faith Formation Coordinator [email protected] 941-962-5168

Opportunity for Confession

“Drive-thru” confessions will be available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6-7pm at the Church of St. Mary in Le Center and Saturday, 3-4pm at Nativity in Cleveland in the par ish parking lots. Cones will be set up to direct the flow of traffic. A sufficient distance between the confession area and the line will maintain privacy and the recommended distance of six feet will be maintained between the penitent and the priest. In the case of multiple people in the same car, penitents will exit the car individually and stand or be seated an appropriate distance from the priest. Fr. Stiles intends to be consistently present at St. Mary’s on Wednesdays so that Spanish speakers know when they can expect to be able to confess to him.

Eucharistic Adoration

We will have Eucharistic Adoration from 7:30-9:30 pm each evening Monday-Friday. This will be done “Drive-in” style in our parking lot. The Blessed Sacrament exposed in a monstrance will be placed in the center window.

Faith Formation

“Drive-in” Mass - THIS Sunday, May 24th Church of St. Mary Parking Lot

at 9AM, & 12 PM (Spanish). Weather permitting. We hope to live-stream the parking lot 9AM Mass. If Masses are canceled due to inclement weather, the Mass

will be live streamed at 9:30AM.

May 18, 2020, would have been the 100th birthday of Pope Saint John Paul II. The Polish Pope left the Catholic Church and the world an incredible legacy. Having suffered the loss of his entire family by age 21, he was secretly ordained a priest in Krakow in 1946 during the Nazi occupation and rose to the papacy on October 16, 1978 at age 58. As pope he helped spark a revolution in his native Poland that resulted in the fall of the Iron Curtain. In 1992 Pope John Paul II promulgated the new edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and in 2000 he designated the Sunday after Easter as “Divine Mercy Sunday.” He revitalized devotion to the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Rosary, implementing the Luminous Mysteries in 2002. He was beloved by young people and initiated the first World Youth Day in 1985. "JPII" as he was warmly referred to, was decidedly pro-life and his beautiful and thorough teachings on human sexuality are called “Theology of the Body.” He traveled far and wide to reach out to all corners of the Catholic Church during his pastoral visits. He brought hope and light to the people.

Some JPII inspiration for your day: “The human being is single, unique, and unrepeatable, someone thought of and chosen from eternity, someone called and identified by name.”

“Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

St. Mary-St. Henry Pro-Life Team

Churches of St. Mary & St. Henry 165 N. Waterville Ave., Le Center, MN 56057

Phone: 507-357-6633 Phone/Fax: 507-357-4838

www.stmarysthenry.org

Parish Staff

Pastor: Fr. James Stiles (ext 306) [email protected]

After Hours Emergencies: 507-456-8473

Associate Pastor: Fr. Timothy Sandquist (ext 307) [email protected]

Trustees St. Mary: Clarence Mager 357-4338 Pete Plut 357-6222

Trustees St. Henry: Dan Germscheid 357-4923 Jim Selly 357-4898

Coordinator of Faith Formation: Jean Boothby (phone ext 304) [email protected]

Secretary/Receptionist: Gloria Wolf (phone ext 301) [email protected]

Accounting/Bookkeeping: Tara Robinson (phone ext 302)

[email protected]

Maintenance: Joe Holicky (phone ext 305)

[email protected]

Music Ministry: Terri McMillen

[email protected]

Office Hours - Parish office is closed until further notice

Bulletin Deadline - articles need to be submitted to Gloria by noon

on Wednesday.

For use of meeting rooms or Social Hall - contact Gloria

Thrift Store - 507-357-6942 Closed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic

The archbishop has suspended ordinary public

celebrations of the Mass for the present time. The reason for this suspension is that during the current pandemic,

public gatherings put the health of the attendees in danger as well as those whom attendees come into contact with

and society at large. Please know that the graces of the Mass have not come to an end. Fr. Stiles and Fr.

Sandquist continue to celebrate Masses privately for your intentions and for the whole world. If you happen to hear

the church bells ring, know that Mass is about to be offered for you inside and that you can unite your own

prayers and intentions to it. We are now in solidarity with many Catholics throughout the world who also

experience a lack of access to the sacraments due to persecution, war, the absence of priests, etc.

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD

MAY 24, 2020

“By his ascension,

the risen Lord

draws the gaze of

the apostles—

and our gaze—to

the heights of

heaven to show

us that the end

of our journey is

the Father.” -Pope Francis

From the Pastor’s Desk

Onward and Upward

My dear friends in Christ,

Happy Feast of the Ascension of our Lord! Today we remember and celebrate the historical event of Jesus ascending body and soul into heaven. In a remarkable way, this event shows to us our greatest destiny as human beings. We were ultimately created to be wholly taken up into God, into the very life of the Blessed Trinity. As it was with Jesus, this is not meant to be some disembodied experience but rather our whole selves, body and soul, will be united to God in an indescribable way!

I can’t help but count it as a clear act of Divine Providence that on the eve of the feast of the Ascension of our Lord (traditionally celebrated 40 days after Easter, namely, this past Thursday), we received a rather compelling letter from our Archbishop, which was jointly signed by all the other bishops in the state of Minnesota. In this letter the Archbishop clearly gives each parish within this Archdiocese permission to resume public celebration of the Holy Mass as early as Tuesday, May 26th.

I count this as a stroke of Divine Providence in that this permission underscores the truth that while we must have deep concern and love for our neighbor, reasonable access to worship of our God is essential to our lives of faith precisely because to be fully human means to always be in movement toward God. On this Feast in which we see our God-given destiny through the humanity of Jesus being caught up into the Divine Life of the Trinity, we rejoice and give thanks to God for allowing us to be able to more fully partake in the life of the Trinity here on earth in and through the celebration of the Holy Mass. In the Holy Mass, our most profound movement in and upward toward God takes place.

Nevertheless, each parish must be ready to implement and follow certain strict health precautions before resuming the public celebration of the Mass. Fr. Sandquist, your parish staff, volunteers, and I are working to devise a plan for how to do this well. In the meantime, our current train of thought is to continue with outdoor Masses on the weekends if the weather permits. We are working on making it possible for us to return to a daily Mass schedule within the church building as soon as possible. As always, we will keep you informed when this can happen as well as when and how we will return to Mass within the church building on weekends.

In the meantime, rejoice with me on this Feast of the Ascension. Our hearts have longed to gather once again to worship the Lord together. Our prayers are being answered. We do not need to wait much longer. Lastly, I encourage you to please read the Archbishop’s letter which can be found on our parish website, our parish Facebook page, and as an insert in this bulletin. May God bless you all!

I remain yours in Christ.

Fr. Stiles

THE WORD AMONG US The June 2020 issue is now outside the parish office door entrance. Each issue of this magazine includes daily meditations based on the Mass readings, full Mass readings and prayers from the Liturgy, articles about the saints, and practical advice on living the Christian life. Pick one up and make it a daily practice.

Living Faith Daily Catholic Devotions - July/August/September 2020 edition is currently available outside the parish office door entrance. These are generously provided by the CCW to be used by our parishioners to deepen their daily life.

Mass Schedule & Intentions

In the absence of public Mass the priests will continue to say daily and Sunday Mass and will offer these intentions.

Monday, May 25 6:00-7:00 pm Confessions - drive-thru (parking lot) 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Tuesday, May 26 Mass Intention Living & Deceased of Charles L. Traxler family 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Wednesday, May 27 Mass Intention In reparation for the lack of prayer in family life 6:00-7:00 pm Confessions - drive-thru (parking lot) 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Thursday, May 28 Mass Intention Bill, Helen, & Ron Giesen††† 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Friday, May 29 Mass Intention Richard Schloesser† 6:00-7:00 pm Confessions - drive-thru (parking lot) 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Saturday, May 30 3:00-4:00 Confessions - drive-thru at Nativity Mass Intention Living & Deceased of George Welckle & Ralph Blaschko families

Pentecost, May 31 Mass Intention Joe Connolly† Mass Intention Theresa & Norby Krenik - 70th Wedding Anniversary Mass Intention For the Parish

This Week in the Parish

Please check our website and Facebook for the latest news and happenings here at the Churches of St. Mary & St. Henry. Tune in to pray with our priests who are offering live and recorded prayers and reflections.

www.stmarysthenry.org

St. Mary's Church, Le Center

https://www.facebook.com/StMaryStHenry/

Readings for next Sunday, May 31, 2020 Acts 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13

John 20:19-23

***As part of the effort to prevent the spread of COVID

-19, we have closed the Parish Office & Building. We

are still here for you working from the safety of our

homes! Please continue to call the office (numbers on

bulletin cover) with any needs you may have. We will

be checking our messages frequently and making our

cell numbers available to you.***

Wondering How to Give to the Church? Place your contribution in the night depository or at the drive-up

at either bank in Le Center

Mail your contribution to Churches of St. Mary/St. Henry, 165 N Waterville Ave, Le Center, MN 56057 (Save yourself time and stamps by placing several weekend envelopes in one mailing)

Sign up for Electronic Giving - see below

If you would like to give electronically, visit our website www.stmarysthenry.org and see “Vanco Online Giving” on the

right hand side of the page, click on: “Give Online Now - St. Mary” or “Give Online Now - St. Henry”

The process is quick and simple and you have complete control of your donation amount and when you want to give. Set it up and

forget it or donate week by week.

May 16-17, 2020 St. Mary St. Henry

Weekly Budget $ 4230.00 $ 825.00

Weekly Offering $ 4462.24 $ 400.00 Plate $ 0.00 $ 0.00

Total $ 4462.24 $ 400.00

Diff. from budget +$ 232.24 -$ 425.00

See below how to give to the church - Thank you!

Weekly Building Fund $ 144.00

Parish Stewardship

Church Cleaning - Jeanne Connolly & Chrissy Heitner are scheduled to clean the church by May 31, 2020.

St. Henry News

St. Mary Calvary Cemetery Maintenance and Beautification Projects

You can give to this project in the same manner as listed below under “Wondering How to Give to the Church”. If you don’t have a purple cemetery giving envelope, you can indicate on your check memo line “Cemetery Project” and/or place in an envelope marked the same. Feel free to indicate if you’d like your donation to go to the statue or the roads or both. Gifts of any amount are welcome - Thank you!

Total Cost of Projects: $32,664.00 Raised to Date: $11,355.00

Help those in need – donate today! Thank you from the 20 Designated Ministries of the CSAF! Use the same giving methods as listed above for the Sunday Collection. You can also give directly at GiveCSAF.org using your phone, tablet, or computer. Please note that all donations to the CSA are handled through the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation, a

separate corporation from the Archdiocese. We still have a little way to go. If you need an envelope, please contact Gloria, in the parish office, and she will get one out to you.

Our parish goal this year is: St. Mary $14,270 Collected $10,632 (75%) St. Henry $2,655 Collected $2680 (101% Goal Met!)

Meal on Wheels is in need of a volunteer for the week of May 25-29. If you are able to help out, please call Tara in the parish office.

We offer our prayers and sympathies

to the family and friends of Donna Germscheid. Donna passed away on May 7, 2020. Her funeral and burial

will take place at the Church of St. Henry at a later date.

Congratulations to Teresa

and Norby Krenik who will

celebrate 70 years of

marriage on June 1.

Thank you for your

beautiful witness to the

Sacrament of Marriage.

May God Bless You!

Congratulations can be sent

to: Teresa and Norby

340 N State St.

Le Center, MN 56057

June 1, 1950 Church of St. Thomas

If you haven’t already, you will soon be receiving a letter in the mail with news about our Parish Festival. Unfortunately, given the present social distancing circumstances, it was decided we would not be able to move ahead with our festival this year.

We are asking each household to make a monetary donation in hopes of raising the amount that we usually bring in each year (about $30,000). Thank you, in advance, for your understanding and generosity! We also wish to thank the crew who helped with putting the mailing together and especially to the Knights of Columbus for covering the cost of the envelopes and postage.